Economic Interests, Fascism and the Start of World War II

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Introduction

﻿Erin Gaffney Question 4 World War I was supposed to be a ?War to end all wars? and as Woodrow Wilson said, this war was ?to make the world safe for democracy?. This changed quickly when Japan started threatening China and the open door policy, also as the fascist Nazi party under Hitler began to rise and promised the reassertion of German nationalism and militarism. The U.S. under Roosevelt shifted from isolationism and neutrality to disengagement and then into full engagement in World War II because it was unavoidable because of the economic situation and the Fascism aggression in the Axis powers. The first main political movement from neutrality to disengagement was caused by the negative relations between the U.S. and Japan, Fascist Germany and Italy, these negative relations were caused by the latter nations responses to bad economic conditions, and their past war resentments. After World War I, the U.S. had tried to become isolationist and avoid any wars. Proof of this idea, were acts such as the Kelogg-Briand pact. This act was to avoid any wars and it was the beginning of the movement to outlaw war entirely. Of course, this did not work because there was too much tension after World War I and the rise of the Fascist nations prevented any such pact. ...read more.

Middle

Roosevelt maintained neutrality while building up arms. Many isolationists viewed this as preparing for possible invasion of the Western hemisphere where protection is needed. These political acts brought the nation from disengagement into a neutral position in the war because all of these acts were to prevent war or U.S. entry into the war, the situation changes when Roosevelt and the nation begin to realize that war is probably unavoidable. Then the political acts changed from Neutrality and disengagement to full engagement into World War II, because Britain and France got involved in the war, and the relationship between the U.S. and the Axis continued to decline. One of the acts that the U.S. put in place was the ?Cash and Carry? system. This was a switch from neutrality because even though it was theoretically neutral, in use it mostly favored Britain. This was the beginning of the U.S. aid to Britain that would develop and bring the U.S. into the war. Another step away from neutrality, Roosevelt began a war draft even though there was no potential enemy named. This was the Selective Service act of 1940. It began to train troops in the ages 21-35. The U.S. began to arm themselves because the European nations had been so unprepared that they were easily taken. ...read more.

Conclusion

Japan was able to expand in these areas because the European countries were in war and they did not have enough forces to defend their colonies elsewhere. When Japan joined the Axis and began to occupy French Indochina the U.S. began to cut off crucial goods such as steel, iron and oil. Since Japan?s air-force and navy could not run without U.S. oil unless they conquered the oil industries in the Dutch East Indies, they attacked the U.S. naval fleet anchored in Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor was the spark of the U.S. entrance into World War II or the start of their full engagement. The War became unavoidable to the U.S. because war had broken out in the European front and the U.S. was being threatened by Japan. This forced the U.S. to move from disengagement to full engagement in to the war because there was no other way to defend our economic interests and protect Europe and Asia from Fascism. World War II was in the cards ever since after World War I because of the anger and want of reassertion of Germany. The U.S. became involved because Japan started to introduce itself as a threat to the U.S. and the fascist dictators had the desire of conquering Europe and Asia and The economic interests of the U.S. got caught in the conflict. ...read more.

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